Newbie Doofus Question #69

[shearclass]

What is malt extract?

I thought malt extract was the treacley stuff you got in the kits. However, One of the Coopers kits (can't remember which, perhaps Hertiage Lager) recommends you use a tin of Coopers Malt Extract to make the kits (i.e., in place of sugar or beer kit enhancer)

:wha:

 

[Runwell-Steve]

Malt extract is just Malt, that has already been though the Mashing Process, and the nice sugary stuff has had most of the water removed and put in a can.

It is what comes out of the Mash Tun - concentrated

The stuff you get in kits is a mixture of the Malt extract, plus the hops bittering and Aroma as this is the equivalent to what you would get out of the Copper at the end of the boil, with all the unnecessary water removed.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[shearclass]

Cheers Steve, that explains it.

I assume malt extract is of a superior quality to dried spray malt?

I know you do proper beer, but do you know why some kits recommend using this rather than using sugar/beer kit enhancer/spray malt?

 

[Aleman]

I assume malt extract is of a superior quality to dried spray malt?

You should never assume as it makes and 'ASS' out of 'U' and 'ME'. In pretty much all cases spray malt is going to be of superior quality . . . to liquid malt of the same age . . . . unless you get really fresh liquid malt extract.

Why Do some kits recommend using this rather than using sugar/beer kit enhancer/spray malt?

:wha: :wha: I don't think they do . . .most malt extracts that are liquid are hopped (as it kits) the number of unhopped Liquid malt extracts you can get nowadays is very small (Unless buying 15Kg jerry cans of Muntons Cedarex B). So most recommendations are to add light dried spray malt. Certainly using malt extract instead of sugar in a kit will produce a 'beerier' beer with a better body and finish (Beer kit enhancer is a mixture of malt extract and sugar). Downside to doing this is that the finishing gravity will be a 'few' points higher than stated in teh kit instructions.

 

[shearclass]

You should never assume as it makes and 'ASS' out of 'U' and 'ME'

I am so disappointed you said this! And to think i used to respect and treat like gospel your brewing advice. This is middle manager speak, straight from the set of The Office!

Thanks for the tip though. So if dried malt is superior, is there any point in liquid malt extract? I ASSUME not. (joke!)

shearclass wrote:
Why Do some kits recommend using this rather than using sugar/beer kit enhancer/spray malt?

:wha: :wha: I don't think they do . . .

The kit i was referring to was Coopers Heritage Lager. it may be the only kit in existence that does recommend malt extract I suppose, i just happened to come across it.

In pretty much all cases spray malt is going to be of superior quality

Can you explain what spray malt is, and vaguely how it is produced? I understand that liquid malt extract is Malt that is somehow concentrated, guessing that liquid is somehow evapourated leaving the thick stuff behind, but how does malt turn into powder?

This was going to be Newbie Doofu Question #70, but i might as well ask it here.

Cheers

 

[luckyeddie]

1. Malt barley
2. Mash
3. Concentrate wort
4. Pass through a 'spraydrier' in the presence of hot gas (usually nitrogen)
5. Zinggg!!!

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Never tried Zinggg. Does it do what it say's on the pack? lol :thumb:

 

[luckyeddie]

Never tried Zinggg. Does it do what it say's on the pack? lol :thumb:

It's a baht 'at thing.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Never tried Zinggg. Does it do what it say's on the pack? lol :thumb:

It's a baht 'at thing.

Not in't Yorkshire vocabulary, tizz narr young'n..

 

[luckyeddie]

Never tried Zinggg. Does it do what it say's on the pack? lol :thumb:

It's a baht 'at thing.

Not in't Yorkshire vocabulary, tizz narr young'n..

appen!

 

[Aleman]

Can you explain what spray malt is, and vaguely how it is produced? I understand that liquid malt extract is Malt that is somehow concentrated, guessing that liquid is somehow evapourated leaving the thick stuff behind, but how does malt turn into powder?

Basically after production the wort is pumped under pressure to the top of a tall tower and is forced through a fogging nozzle (produces very fine droplets of wort). Hot air is fed into the bottom of the tower which evaporate the liquid leaving behind very fine granules of solid maltose, which fall tot eh bottom of the towere where they are removed and bagged.

The benefit of spray malt production is that the malt doesn't undergo the prolonged boiling (even under vacuum) that liquid malt extract does, which causes excessive wort darkening.